Home >> Toys >> Other Toys

How to Make a Rectangular Box Kite

Kites have long been a favorite pastime of children on a clear, windy day. While getting a kite up and flying can always be a bit of a challenge, different shapes and styles of construction can often help. This rectangular box kite should take to the air readily, and may seem much easier to fly than the traditional diamond-shaped variety. Children may also enjoy decorating the paper on the kite and even painting the dowels or coloring them with markers to make a festive-looking project.

Things You'll Need

(4) 36-inch round wooden dowels (4) 12-inch round wooden dowels Measuring tape or ruler Saw Sturdy string Masking tape Scissors Newspaper Kite string

Instructions

- 1
  Make a notch in the very center of each 12-inch dowel. Fit two dowels together so that the notches line up and they create an X shape. Tape the dowels together with masking tape, then wrap firmly with string. Repeat with the other two 12-inch dowels.
- 2
  Notch each 36-inch dowel twice--6 inches from each end. Lay two of the dowels flat on your work surface, and hold one of the X shapes so that one end of the X sits in each notch. Tape the joints together, then wrap tightly with string. Repeat at the other end of the dowels so that you have an X standing up at each end of the dowels.
- 3
  Place the other two dowels flat on the work surface, and line the notches up with the remaining free legs of the X shapes. Tape and tie securely as in Step 2.
- 4
  Cut out two sheets of newspaper approximately 1 foot wide and 2 feet tall. You may need to tape several sheets of paper together to get the proper size. Lastly, line the 2-foot edges with masking tape to keep them from tearing in the wind.
- 5
  Wrap one sheet of paper around the end of your frame. The bottom of the paper should line up with the bottom of the frame, while the top of the paper reaches about 6 inches past the X shape in the frame. Secure the paper to the frame with a few pieces of masking tape along the inside of the paper where it meets the dowel. Repeat with the other piece of newspaper on the opposite end of the kite frame.
- 6
  Cut a piece of kite string 40 inches long. Attach one end to the very top corner of one of the dowels and the other end to the same dowel where the second square of newspaper starts. You should attach it with tape first, then wind the string around several times and knot securely.
- 7
  Make sure the rest of your kite string is attached to the handle that it came on. Take the end of this long string and make a loop around the string that is attached to the kite. This should allow the kite string that you will be holding on to, to move up and down the first length of string. Your box kite will probably fly at an angle with the string sitting about 10 inches from the top of the kite.

Other Toys